Microsoft are pushing Office 365 as ‘the’ cloud solution for business. However recent outages demonstrate that Microsoft is still new to the game of hosted Exchange and office apps, so SMEs should question whether they should go with the big brand of Microsoft or use a combination of hosted Exchange from a trusted supplier and local Office applications.

The Office 365 outages were highlighted by SearchExchange, who commented:

The Office 365 outages also help further the point of those who remain skeptical about going all-in with Microsoft’s cloud service. Office 365 is a name that many recognize, but Microsoft is still fairly new to this game, compared to other hosting providers that have offered cloud-based Exchange for years. As such, Microsoft’s cloud suite may not be the best option for those interested in moving Exchange email to the cloud.

Simply Mail Solutions have provided hosted Exchange since 2006 and currently host more than 25,000 mailboxes for customers.